Former Leinster coach and outspoken pundit Matt Williams believes that Ireland should not be judged on their performances and results in November.

Andy Farrell’s men began their series with a disappointing 26-13 defeat to the All Blacks having led the contest with 20 minutes remaining.

It was effectively this side’s first match since the Six Nations due to the British and Irish Lions tour which had significant Irish representation.

Many of those stars also had little game time leading into the clash and it perhaps showed in that final quarter as New Zealand, who were battle hardened following the Rugby Championship, finished the stronger.

Ireland should be ‘judged after the Six Nations’

“To be honest, what do you expect after you supply so many players to a Lions tour? You then have to rehabilitate them, get their time off, do their training – that Irish team is nowhere near ready for Test match rugby, and it’s not going to be for the rest of November,” Williams told Off The Ball.

“This season should only be judged after the Six Nations because that’s what they’re training for.

“There was no way that team was ready and we saw it in the last 20. They didn’t fall apart but the margins are so fine.

“That is not a great New Zealand side but it is a very competent New Zealand side, and in the last 20 they piled on the pressure and Ireland couldn’t live with it.

“They also had the adversity of having to play with a man down for 20 minutes with the very, very unfortunate red card for Tadhg Beirne – that was very tough – but all those things added up.”

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Ireland still have time to get it right this month as they face Japan, Wallabies and Springboks in what is a challenging month of matches, but Williams doesn’t think it will happen, certainly performance-wise.

He does reckon they will have enough to overcome Japan and a “poor” Australia, despite stating they will remain way off their best, but that the Irishmen will not manage to beat the back-to-back world champions.

Impossible for Ireland to peak

“They’ll beat Japan. I don’t think they’ll make too many changes but I think they’ll give some young guys a go,” Williams said.

“They should beat Australia, Australia are poor, but right now South Africa is going to be a stretch. But I think that is to be expected and it’s not the end of the universe just yet.

“It’s an ageing side and I think they can bring some guys in, especially the next two Tests.

“I think these players that went on the Lions tour aren’t ready to play Test match rugby and that was proved on Saturday.

“The third Test was the first weekend of August and do you expect these guys to come back and be at their peak 12 weeks later? It’s just not rational. We shouldn’t judge this group until the Six Nations, that’s when we’ll know.”

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